Working of Institutions Class 9 Civics NCERT Solutions & Notes

Ans:
(a) Select the person you like as Prime Minister. (False)
(b) Dismiss a Prime Minister who has a majority in Lok Sabha. (False)
(c) Ask for reconsideration of a bill passed by both the Houses. (True)
(d) Nominate the leaders of your choice to the Council of Ministers. (False)

Ans:
(a) District Collector
(b) Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs
(c) Home Minister (Correct - He is an elected representative who takes political decisions)
(d) Director General of Police

Ans:
(a) Every law passed by the Parliament needs approval of the Supreme Court. (False - The Supreme Court only reviews laws if they are challenged, they don't need to approve every law beforehand.)
(b) Judiciary can strike down a law if it goes against the spirit of the Constitution. (True)
(c) Judiciary is independent of the Executive. (True)
(d) Any citizen can approach the courts if her rights are violated. (True)

Ans: In a Parliamentary democracy like India, the Prime Minister is the leader of the majority party or coalition in the Lok Sabha. People elect the Members of Parliament (MPs). The President appoints the leader of the majority party as the PM. This ensures that the PM always enjoys the support of the majority of elected representatives, making the government stable and accountable.

Ans: An Office Memorandum is an official communication issued by an appropriate authority stating the policy or decision of the government. The chapter begins with the example of an Office Memorandum issued on August 13, 1990, regarding the Mandal Commission recommendations.

Ans: The Government of India appointed the Second Backward Classes Commission in 1979, headed by B.P. Mandal. It was asked to determine the criteria to identify the socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC) in India. It recommended a 27% reservation in government jobs for SEBCs.

Ans: Governing a country involves various activities like ensuring security, providing education, and collecting taxes. To attend to these tasks, several arrangements are made in modern democracies. These arrangements are called institutions. They are needed to make decisions, implement them, and resolve any disputes that arise from those decisions.

Ans: Parliament is the national assembly of elected representatives that exercises supreme political authority on behalf of the people. In India, the Parliament consists of two houses: The Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People).

Ans: 1. It is the final authority for making new laws and changing existing laws.
2. Those who run the government can take decisions only as long as they enjoy support of the Parliament.
3. It controls all the money that the government has; public money can only be spent with Parliament's sanction.

Ans: The Lok Sabha is more powerful because its members are directly elected by the people. In money matters, the Lok Sabha has the final say. Most importantly, the Council of Ministers is responsible only to the Lok Sabha; if the Lok Sabha passes a 'no-confidence' motion, the Prime Minister and all ministers must resign.

Ans: The Political Executive consists of leaders elected by the people for a specific period (e.g., Ministers). They take the big policy decisions. The Permanent Executive consists of civil servants (e.g., IAS officers) appointed on a long-term basis. They remain in office even when the ruling party changes and assist in day-to-day administration.

Ans: In a democracy, the will of the people is supreme. The political executive (minister) is an elected representative of the people and is thus empowered to exercise the will of the people on their behalf. Even though civil servants are more educated and expert in their fields, the final decision lies with the minister who is answerable to the people.

Ans: In a coalition government, the Prime Minister cannot take decisions exactly as he likes. He has to accommodate different groups and factions within his party as well as his alliance partners. His power is somewhat constrained as the survival of his government depends on the support of these coalition partners.

Ans: The Council of Ministers is the official name for the body that includes all the Ministers. It usually has 60 to 80 ministers of different ranks. It includes Cabinet Ministers (top-level leaders), Ministers of State with independent charge, and Ministers of State (who assist Cabinet Ministers).

Ans: The President of India is not elected directly by the people. The President is elected by an Electoral College consisting of the elected Members of Parliament (MPs) and the elected Members of the Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) of all the states.

Ans: 1. All government activities, major policy decisions, and laws are made in the name of the President.
2. All major appointments (like the Chief Justice, Governors, Election Commissioners) are made by the President.
3. The President is the supreme commander of the defense forces of India.

Ans: An integrated judiciary means that the Supreme Court controls the judicial administration in the entire country. Its decisions are binding on all other courts (High Courts and District Courts) in India. It ensures a single system of law and justice applies throughout the nation.

Ans: Judicial Review is the power of the Supreme Court and the High Courts to determine the constitutional validity of any legislation passed by the Parliament or any action of the executive. If they find such a law or action is against the Constitution, they can declare it invalid.

Ans: The independence of the judiciary is ensured because judges are appointed by the President on the advice of the PM and the Chief Justice, making political interference difficult. Once appointed, it is nearly impossible to remove a judge (it requires an impeachment motion passed by a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament).